‘Kishidancho Goroshi’ or ‘Killing Commendatore’, the latest novel by renowned Japanese author Haruki Murakami, has had a remarkable impact on the publishing market in Japan and beyond. The largest and most renowned global publishers have been in fierce competition to buy the book’s translation, publishing and distribution rights – an instinct that proved correct as fans queued for hours in front of bookstores to buy Murakami’s 14th novel.
The first edition of the novel ran into 1,300,000 copies, 100,000 of which were sold in Japan within just two days, another example of the nation’s immense thirst for printed reading. This especially holds true for the 2,000 page novel published in two volumes in a fast-paced country where e-books are becoming increasingly popular.
‘Murakami’s previous titles have been translated into 50 languages including Arabic. He has often been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Nobel Prize for Literature, partly because of his strong narratives, complex characters and ingenious, detailed and cohesive plots.